Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The provisions on the service of a document are found in the statutes dealing with a wide range of different areas. Section 5 of the Bill is in accordance with the corresponding provisions in other enactments. Officials of my Department have examined the provisions on the service of documents in all of the Acts adopted over the past decade. None of the 20 or so Acts examined include the provision along the lines proposed by Deputy O'Reilly. Including such provision in this Bill would have wider and possibly unforeseen consequences for provisions on the service of documents throughout the Statute Book. The case for a proof provision along the lines proposed needs to be examined in a wider context than just in this Bill and we are therefore not in a position to accept this amendment.